Hey Kerry,

I think you've done a great job standing up for yourself during this
most recent debate. It reads to me like you've been getting even more
than a taste of what Bob Hutton, myself and a few others have been on
the receiving end of, since the seed of these threads first took root
around May 6th (I went back and looked). Taking an unpopular stance (be
it ultimately deemed right or wrong) is hard *if* one respects the
opinions of the folks your having the discussion with. If one doesn't, I
think that person would be a self-defeating fool to give a rat's ass
WHAT the others think.

The good news, of course, is that the proof will most certainly be in
the pudding. Come back to these discussions in a couple of years and see
how things have shaken out. I believe that the music business as we've
known it in the past, and even as we know it now, will have totally
collapsed (it's near the breaking point now, and I couldn't be happier)
and we'll all be operating under a brand new set of rules. I'm hoping
that all of you musicians will be able to be totally self-contained,
from the first strum of the guitar (for example) to collecting payments
directly from the consumer (there's that nasty "c" word again). I've
seen it done before and I hope the entire process can be refined and
replicated so that you can all, at the very least, augment your incomes
substantially. If you can find a way to tour and make some money from
that as well, perhaps you can even put together a life that's built
primarily (or even completely!) around the music that you want to make
and that we still very much want to hear. In my heart of hearts, I wish
you all the very best. You don't need to sell your soul (or the rights
to your songs) or get on your knees anymore, that's for sure.

I don't wish to see any personal financial harm come to anyone in the
music industry, but I do advocate it's total collapse (get it? I'm
HOPING that you'll *all* somehow survive this maelstrom). History shows
that business models collapse and newer, better and more workable ones
take their places time and time again. We need to start over. I think
that The Fallout we're seeing and most certainly feeling now will
continue to wipe out more and more labels and most of the businesses
associated with the old, failed music business model. I feel that there
needs to be a completely new consumer/content-provider paradigm. I admit
to being an idealist and quite possibly a complete fool (on the hill).
But I'd gladly put my money where my mouth is and I plan to do just
that. I'm going to assume that all artists *will* be trying (if they
aren't already) to become totally self-contained so I'm going to try to
set up a small business that will help them with at least one small part
of that process. I'm in a position where I don't necessarily need to
make a profit, all I need to do is break even, so maybe there will be
more people in a similar position ready to jump in with their different
areas of expertise. I'm guessing that at least thousands of other people
are thinking the same thing I'm thinking right now. Wouldn't it be nice
if there were a new coalition dedicated authentically to helping artists
in this new environment, instead of just squeezing another dollar out of
their already primarily lint-lined pockets?

And to all of you on this list trying so hard (some succeeding, some
just barely hanging on, sounds like) to make it as writers? I wish you
all the best. I have SO much respect for what you do and I sure enjoy
reading the end result. I sure wish I could do it. As overly verbose as
I am, I think I'd at least have some fun with it. (Maybe I should start
with one of those basic writing courses at the local community college.
And this coming from a guy who somehow finagled his way to two undergrad
degrees! It sure didn't make me a writer!) I understand that all of this
is affecting your bottom line as well, often to a very substantial
degree. I don't know enough about the business end of writing to make
any even remotely helpful suggestions, but I sure wish you well. At
least you get to comment on the collapse, right? (trying to find some
good here).

I hope for peace and prosperity with equal treatment for *everyone*
concerned. I hope there's a way.

jeff t.